Licinia Eudoxia

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Licinia Eudoxia (422-462) was a Roman Empress, daughter of Eastern Emperor Theodosius II and wife of the Western Emperors Valentinian III and Petronius Maximus.

Eudoxia was the only daughter of the long-reigning Eastern emperor Theodosius II and of his wife, the poetess Aelia Eudocia. She married the Western Emperor Valentinian III on 29 October 437, in Thessalonica - a marriage that marked the reunion of the two halves of the House of Theodosius. In 439 Eudoxia was granted the title of Augusta, with the birth of her daughter Eudocia.

In 455, Valentinian was murdered, probably by his collaborator, Petronius Maximus. In the days that followed the death of the emperor, Petronius Maximus rose to the imperial power, and obliged Licinia Eudoxia to marry him, in order to strengthen his position. It is possible that Eudoxia, who was not happy of marrying the killer of her husband, called for the help of the African Vandals king Gaiseric, who had engaged one of his sons to Eudoxia's eldest daughter. Gaiseric moved to Rome very quickly. Petronius Maximus opted for fleeing, but he was killed by the mob of Rome. When the Vandals arrived in Rome, they sacked the city, and took, among the other prisoners, Eudoxia and her two daughters, Eudocia and Placidia. The three women stayed prisoners in Carthage for seven years, until a large ransom was paid by the Eastern Emperor Leo I. She and Placidia withdrew to Constantinople, but Eudocia stayed in Africa as wife of Huneric, Gaiseric's son, and was mother of Hilderic. Placidia later became the wife of Olybrius.

[edit] References

• Mathisen, Ralph, "Licinia Eudoxia", De Imperatoribus Romanis

[edit] External links

• Image:Commons-logo.svg Media related to Licinia Eudoxia from the Wikimedia Commons.

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